Stranding-machine.



C. W. PECK.

STRANDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION f lLED IAN. 6| |915.

1 ,27 1 ,5,1 8. I Patented Ju1y2, 1918.

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C. W. PECK.

STRANDING MACHINE. 'APPLICATION mso mu. s. |915.

Patentd July 2 1918.V

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C. W. PSCK.

STRANDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IMI. 6. I9I5.

1.271.518. Patented July 2, 1918,

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lstrand guide extending .nally and follow the preceding UNTER@ STATES PATENT FFCE.

CHARLES W. PECK, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE MATTATUCK MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

STRANDINGr-MACHINE.

NOS. 1,043,800, 1,043,897 mi 1,043,898 for uniting hooked links and perforated plates.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a construction in which the plates may be automatically supplied from a hopper and connected up with the linksk to form a continuous strand or chain.

Other objects are to improve the details of the mechanism to facilitate theoperation and adjustment.

in the preferred form, as illustrated, a quantity of perforated plates is placed in a rotating hopper which keeps a vertical guide supplied with the plates in an orderly arrangement. Hooked links are supplied on a guide adjacent the plate guide. The links are intermittently fed from the bottom of the link guide and the rear hook engages in one of the apertures in the plate in the bottom of the plate guide.V The'strand is intermittently drawn through a horizontal at right angles .trom the base or" the plate guide. operation, the front hook of thev next link engages in the rear aperture of the first mentioned plate at the same time that the rear hook engages in the aperture of the succeeding plate.

The bottom plate is yieldingly supported so that as the strand is pulled or drawn along, the plate is allowed to turn diagoplate along the horizontal strand guide.

The strand guide, draw-out mechanism and tension mechanism may be constructed generally as indicated in the Bigelow Patents No. 1,043,896 or N0. 1,043,898.

Figure 1 is a plan view showing the general construction and arrangement of a machine embodying the improvements of my invention. i

Fig. 2 1s an enlarged detailed viewv show- Specicaton of Letters Patent.

At the next Eatented July 2, 1918.

Serial No. 787.

ing the link feeding and hook bending details.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the yielding support tor the lowest perforated plate.

Fig. 1 is a side view in partial section showing the plate supply and strand guide and draw-out mechanism.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side view showing the parts at the point of assemblage or' the plates and hooks.

Fig. G is a vertical projection and 'transverse sectional view showing the plate and link supply guides, the link feed and bend-y ing tools.

F ig. 7 is a detached sectional view showing the plate supply hopper.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view showing the cani and slide for operating the part of the hook closing tools.

The apertured or perforated plates 10 are usually square and provided with holes in each'corner. These are supplied in a vertical grooved guide 11. This guide is kept iilled vtrom a hopper 12, having an entrance 12. This hopper is carried on a shaft 13, which is continuously rotated in any suitable manner.

The hopper is conical in shape and its larger end abuts against a plate 14, which forms a closure. The larger end of the hopper is provided with a plurality of recesses 15 adapted to admit individual plates. Projections 17 between the recesses 15 serve to move the plates as the hopper rotates in the direction of the arrow or'vFig. 4.-. The flange 1G supports the plates and guides them to the top of the guide 11. A. spring` 18 serves to yieldingly hold the plate, which is just emerging from behind the base of the hopper at the top of the guide 11. llVhen the guide 11 is filled up, plates which subflange 20 and the abutment 14. On account .y

'of the shape of the hopper and the arrangement of this flange, the movement of the hopper keeps the plates tumbling over each other and fallingtoward the flange 20, and some of these plates fall over the flange and down into the recesses 15, whence they are m'oved to the top of the? guide 11.

l At the bottom of the guide 11 is a movable support 21 hinged at 22 and drawn yieldingly upward by a spring 23 'against a stop 24 at or near the lower end of the guide-l1; This supporty is grooved to it the edge of one of the plates,a.s indicated at 25. A lateral support 26 assists in positioning the lower edge of the plate .and theoverhanging nose 27 assists in holding the upper edge ofthe plate. i

The partially hookedv links 30 are supplied on a guide 31, whichis secured-toy a stationary member 32 by means of Aclamping bolts 33, which permit the lateral adjustment of the link guide relative to the plate guide. f

The links on the guide 31. kare supported by a yielding member 34 adapted to be moved inwardV by a pair of cut-off knives 35,

l,as indicated4v in my former application #874,595 When the knife 35 moves the support 34 inward, it releases the bottom link on the guide and allows it to fall on the feed plunger 36., In the next stroke of the feed plunger 36, the link falls upon the flanges 37, which are immediately vbelow thefeedplunger andrwhich support the link on theplane of the front edge of the plunger. The flanges 38 extend overlthe flanges 37, so as to allow'the plunger 36 to operate beneath the guide 31, 4but vso as to hold the ends of the link and prevent them from tilting. Y The links are further positioned by the stationary members 31. The feed plunger V.36,and the cut-offv knives 35 :are carried by a slide. 40 operated by a cam` 41 on the shaft 42. ;The flanges 37 and 38 are carried by dies 39, 39. .Dies 43 and A,faces, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, co-actfwith the hooked ends ofthe links, as the links are fed forward 1by `the v plunger 36, to partially close or bend the hooks.

The. horizontal grooved dies 39, 39 are .Y shaped at the ends `to cause theends30,302

ofthe link to be bent over as the ends pass through the apertures in theI plates 10', 102. The die 44 is carried by a lholder 47, andl is horizontally adjustable along the guides45,

46 so as to bring it into its properposition for Vlinks yof different lengths.. The, die 43 and the'holder 47 are bot-h carried bya slide 48 operated bythe cam 49 on the shaft` 5() andareoadjustable towardand from the strand guide 45. The, completion of Vthe closing movement of the :hooks is performed by dies 51 51 on a holder 52 on the slide 48.` The holder is adjustable' toward and grooved on their forward being` from the strand guide and the dies 51 51 are adjustable along the strand guide to accommodate links of different lengths. The body of the link is supported opposite dies 51 51 by die 39 and a plate is held adj acent one die 51"byv a vfork 53 carried'by slide 54 operated bycam 55 on the shaft 42. An auxiliary strand support 56 is adjust- 'able'onthe guide 45 for holding and guiding the strand adjacent the die 51, but this may be omitted. Y lThe strand `is intermittently pulled along The .shafts '42 and .G3 are connected by miter gears 66.q Theshafts 50 and 63'are connected: by .miter v.gears 67.. l Y j 1n the operatioiuof the mechanism,the guide 11y is continuously kept-,filled with the perforated plates, Vby the action'of the hop-,l

per 12.v The 'bottom plate 10,is supported by thel yielding member l21. 'Theplate 102 is suitably supported in, the strandguide and the hooked link fed forward so. asto en- -gagein apertures ofthe plates-as indicated in Fig. 5. The hooks 30 and 302y arei bent over by. dies 39, 39, 43 .and 44,z as the link is fed forward bythe strand is drawn along intermittently,the plate 10 is tiltedaip, axes are vertical and horizontal, respectively.

This construction and arrangement. permits of uniforniand rapid action, evenV though therplates maybemore or less irregular, tice.y I l `What1rclaim isp-V.

k1. 1n a machine ofthe character described, afeed hopper mounted to:4 rotate en a substantially horizontalV axis, said feed hopper open at one end and haying plate feeding. proj ectionson said*Y open Zend, a substantially vertical abutment atJ said open as they often are inv commercial pracend ofr the hopper forY confining, the, articles;

being fed in thepocketsprovided between the plate feeding' prpjectionsand aninwardly extending annular :flange at the Aopen end of thel hopper spaced .inwardly from the abutment a distancesuflicient.toenable a single row of thearticles being engaged between the same and the adjoining'face of the abutment and said annular flange extendinginwardly into the hopper,suiicientlyto substantially support the mass of 'articles Within the hoppery andthereby prevent said mass plunger As o theV so, that.v its diagonalI iso from interfering with the feeding ofthe single. row of articles confined between the flange and the abutuleut.

2. In a machine of the character described, an open ended hopper mounted to rotate on a substantially horizontal axis and provided with plate feeding projections at the open end thereof, an abutment forming in conjunction With said projections a feeding passa-ge for the plates, a plate guide having an entrance end adjoining said passage, and a spring for yieldingly guiding the plates in transit from said passage to the entrance of the plate guide.

" .In a machine of the character described,

a vertical plate guide, means'for automatically supplying plates on edge at the upper end of said guide, an overflow guide to dispose of an excess of plates at the upper end of said plate guide, and means for periodically withdrawing plates from the bottom of said plate guide.

4. In a machine of the character described, a feed hopper having means at one end thereof for feeding the blanks from Within the hopper, a guide for such blanks having an entrance mouth disposed to receive blanks fed by the hopper, and an overflonv guide having an entrance mouth adjoining the entrance to the first guide and adapted to receive overflow blanks from the first guide.

5. In a machine of the characterdescribed, a feed hopper, a horizontal strand guide beneath the feed hopper, a vertical plate guide ext-ending in a direct linev from said I feed hopper to said strand guide, means for applying links to the plates at the strand guide, and means for drawing the stranded links and plates through the stra-nd guide.

6. In a machine of the character described,

a vertical plate guide, a yielding plate support at the lower end` thereof, a horizontal strand guide leading from said plate guide,

and means for inserting a link from the side to engage a plate held on said support.

7 In a machine of the character described, a strand guide, a yielding plate support at one end thereof, a stationary positioning nose overstanding said support, and `means for inserting a link in a plate held between said support and said nose.

8. In a machine of the character described, a plate guide, a hinged support at the bottom thereof, means for positioning a perforated plate on said hinged support, means for insert-ing a hook of a link in a perforation of said plate, means for pulling said link and plate, and means for turning the plate diagonally on edge.

9. In a machine of the character described, means for supporting tivo perforated plates spaced apart from each other, a link guide, a feed plunger, supports for the ends of a link beneath said guide, flanges over said supports to steady the ends of the link, and dies cooperating to bend the hooks of a link being fed between said supports and `flanges.

10. In a. machine of the character described, a strand guide, link feeding means and link holding means arranged on one side of said guide, hook bending means opposite said feeding means, hook closing means opposite said holding means, and an adjustable auxiliary link guide mounted adjacent the operative positions of saidhold-v ing and closing means.

11. In a machine of the character described, tvvo shafts arranged onl opposite sides of the machine and an end shaft connecting said side shafts, transversely operating link feeding means driven by one side shaft, transversely operating link bending means driven by thc opposite side shaft, and longitudinally operating strand draw-out meansdriven by the said end shaft.

12. In a machine of the character described, a substantially vertical plate guide. a yielding plate support at the lower end of said plate guide, a substantially horizontal strand guide extending laterally from the lower end of the plate guide, means for applying a connecting link to the plate on the yielding plate support .and a plate within the strand guide, and means for passing the stranded links and vplates through the strand guide. v

13. In a machine of the character dcscribed, asubst-antially vertical guide for a plurality of substantially rectangular perforated plates superposed edge to edge, a horizontal support for the lowermost plate of said plate guide, a laterally extending strand guide adjacent the lower end of the plate guide, means for supporting a plate in diagonally disposed relation Within they strand guide, means for inserting a connecting link in a perforation of said diagonally supported link Within the strand guide and in a perforation in the horizontally supported plate at the foot of the plate guide, means for passing the stranded links and plates through the strand guide, and means for turning the horizontally supported plate to a. diagonal position as it passes into the strand guide.

14. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a plate guide, a rotating hopper at the upper end thereof having a plurality of spaced thin pockets opening into the interior of said hopper, each pocket being substantially the thickness of a plate for delivering the plates separately and on edge into said guide, and an overflow chute from the upper end of said guide.

15. In a machine of the character described, a strand guide, a laterally movable abutment movable into said guide and having oppositely inclined shoulders, a plate guide, a yielding abutment at the lower end of said plate vguide having a horizontal plate-supporting shoulder, land means for feeding links into the perforations inplates supported respectively against said inclined and'horizontal shoulders.v

16. In av machine ofthe character vdescribed, a strand guide, means Vfor assembling hooked links and platesfatone end of said Vguide, an abutment vat one side of said guide adjustable longitudinally thereof, link-closing dies movable laterally .of said strand guide at the side opposite said abutment, and a :plate-holding: member movable into said guide'a-bove andy below said abutment, one'end of said abutment serving as a support `for one end of the links in theassembling operation.

17. In a `machine of the character described, a horizontal strand guide, means for assembling links anduplatesfatone end thereof, dies v:tor partially closing the hooked ends of thel links at the assembling position, a stationary link abutment at `one side ot said strand guide, hook-closing -dies on the opposite'side vof said strand guide, and an adjustable stop for the'plates'ofthe strand extending above and' below-said abutment opposite one of said closing dies.

1S. In a machine of the character described, a horizontal strand guide, means for assembling links and platesat one end thereof, dies' for partially closing thehooked ends of the linksv at the assembling position, a stationary link abutment at one sideot said nain-51e strand guide, an adjustable A'stop for the plates ofy the strandv extendingaboveand4 below said abutment oppositeone of'said'closing idies, anda support for said-stop adjustableilongitudinally offsaid strand. guide.

19. :In a machine'of the character described, a plate guide, link guide, means for feeding afl-'ink into a plate at the bottom'o said plate guide,"a strand guide, a stop movableflaterallyfinto said st'rand'gui'de adjacent theedge of said llink-guide opposite the plate guide,and-asupport for said stoppermitting adjustment of said stopllongitudinally of said strand guide,said" stop'havin'g oppositely inclined :shoulders I serving as abutments for the upperiandlower inclined edges ofa plate.

lna machine lof the character described, a verticalfplatefguide,"a movable abutment at thelower en'dfthereoi','aguide member extending partiallyacross lthe outer face of said plate guide-above vsaid'abutment, a strand guide, a s'tojrfiiioyablelaterally into said` strand guide andv hating oppositely inclined pla-te-ei'igaging' shoulders, and mea-ns for moving a 'link to"i`nsert one end into a plate support'edon said abut-nientiand inserting the otherl 'end' into the? plate held against saidstop.

CHARLES Wjrnoi.

lVitnesses GEO. E. JUDD, A; JAMES.

Copies 'of this patent'maybe-obtained for ve" cents each; byiaddressiiigfthe ,C-ommis'sioner'foffPatents, `Wa.shington,y D. C. 

